Combined jacket and suspension means for conductors and the like



July 2, 1963 w. A. PLUMMER 3,

COMBINED JACKET AND SUSPENSIO EANS FOR CONDUCTORS AND THE LI Filed March23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' W 7Z5? 1Q. 1 5/14/1459 INVENTOR.

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July 2, 1963 A PLUM E 3,095,908

w. M R COMBINED CKET AND PENSION MEANS FOR c UCTORS A THE LIKE FiledMarch 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill III

W 74. 7E? 10. 1 A (/MMEQ INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,095,908 COMBINED JACKET AND SUSPENSION MEANS FORCONDUCTGRS AND THE LIKE Walter A. Plnmmer, North Hollywood, Calif. (3546Crownridge Drive, Sherman Oaks, Calif.) Filed Mar. 23, 1959, Ser. No.801,146 3 Claims. (Cl. 138107) The present invention, is related toprotective jackets for conductors, pipes and the like, and moreparticularly to an improved combined protective jacket and suspensionmeans for a plurality of electrical conductors and the like andincluding a longitudinal seam which can be readily opened to provideaccess and thereafter be closed.

This application is closely related to and forms a continuation-in-partof my c-o-pending application for United States Letters Patent SerialNo. 687,399, filed October 1, 1957, now abandoned, entitled PlasticTubing Product and Method of Making Same, as well as of my applicationfor United States Letters Patent Serial No. 777,817, filed December 1,1958, entitled Method of Fabricating Articles From Plastic and theArticle Formed Thereby.

There are numerous situations and environments in which it is desirableto provide a protective moisturetight jacket and enclosure for a groupof electrical conductors designed and arranged for application to andremoval from the conductors as well as opened along any selected portionthereof to provide access to the conductors. It is also highly desirableto provide such a jacket of this type in combination with simple andeffective means for supporting the wires off the ground and in a safelocation affording a minimum hazard to the wires. For example, inconstruction areas of all kinds there is need for power, light andcommunication wires leading to various parts of the project from thetime work is initiated until construction work has been completed.Haphazard expedients of various kinds have been tolerated and utilizedto hold such wires together and as dry as possible. However, it has longbeen recognized that these expedients are quite unsatisfactory and failto provide adequate safeguards to the equipment with which they areconnected as well as to the safety of workmen and property in the area.

With these shortcomings and disadvantages of prior practice in mind, itis a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple, ruggedand inexpensive protective jacket designed to be applied, removed fromor opened for inspection, servicing and the like, and additionallyfeaturing means integral therewith by which the jacket and its contentsmay be easily and securely suspended from any suitable supporting means.The jacket may be formed from any suitable thin, flexible material,preferably impervious to moisture, and having its opposite lateral edgesprovided with fluid-tight interlocking slide fastener means openable inpart or in Whole at any time. A pliant thermoplastic material isparticularly suitable for both the main body of the jacket and for theclosure tapes since these materials possess numerous desirablecharacteristics and are readily fused or heat sealed together.

The suspension means for the jacket may comprise one lateral edgeportion of the main body of the jacket or a separate strip of plastic orthe like material may be heat sealed to the exterior of the main bodyand employed in various ways to suspend the jacket from walls, rafters,joists, studding, as well as from railings and the like extending aboutthe grounds. The suspension flap may be so located and mounted on thesupporting structure as to overlie and shield the access seam from theweather as well as from view, or the suspension strip may be spacedcircumferentially from the seam and a separate protective flap may beprovided for shielding the seam from rain water or the like. In heavyduty jacket constructions the Patented July 2., 1963 suspension stripcan be provided with suitable reinforcing therealong effective todistribute the load and to reinforce the suspension strip itself.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading thefollowing specification and claims and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one preferred embodimentof the combined protective and suspension jacket secured to the edge ofa supporting member;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to- FIGURE 1 but showing an alternate mode ofsecuring the jacket to a supporting member such that the suspensionstrip serves to shield and conceal the enclosure seam for the jacket;and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of another preferredembodiment and the mode of suspending the same from a supporting member.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown one preferred embodiment ofthe invention designated generally it) and comprising a continuous,thin, flexible strip 11 of plastic material as, for example, vinylchloride polyethylene. Separable closure tapes 12 and 13 have webs heatfused or otherwise sealed lengthwise of body strip 11 with tape 12preferably secured to the strip parallel to one lateral edge but spacedinwardly suliiciently to provide a jacket suspension strip 15. The Webof the second tape 13 may be similarly secured to the other lateral edge16 of body strip 11.

The free edges of tapes 12 and 13 have interlocking tongues and groovesso disposed as to interlock with one another to form a high-strengthfluid-tight closure seam 18 extending the full length of body strip 11.It is pointed out that the nature of the interlocking construction ofthese tongues and grooves may take various forms, that shown in theaforementioned co-pending application being a preferred construction andknown to provide an unusually strong seam which is moisture-tight andcapable of rough handling and abuse Without danger of opening.

Suspension flange or strip 15 projects outwardly from the main body ofthe tubular jacket and may be readily secured to any supportingstructure, such as a joist or rafter indicated at Zll. Nails, tacks,screws, or the like 22 may be distributed at frequent intervals anddriven through the flange into support 2ft. If the load of theconductors enclosed within jacket 10' imposes a strain on suspensionflange 15, reinforcing may be desirable such as that provided by a flatstrip of fiber or the like stiff material and through which fasteners 22are driven to avoid danger of the fastener head cutting into the plasticmaterial and otherwise aiding in distributing the load on the suspensionflange.

Slide fastener tapes 12 and 13 are preferably fitted with a closure aidor pull device of any well known construction, not shown, having a pulltab adapted to be grasped between the thumb and fingers and effective inclosing and opening seam 18 depending upon the direction in which it ispulled therealong. Electrical conductors indicated by dot-and-dash lines23 may be enclosed within jacket ll either before or after the jacket issecured to support 2%). Usually it is more convenient to lay the openjacket on the floor or ground beneath the conductors 23 to be enclosed.The opposite edges of the jacket are then pulled about the wires as theinterlocking tongues and grooves of tapes l2 and 13 are pressed togetherat one end and thereafter closed to form seam- 18 lengthwise of thejacket. When so assembled, it is a simple matter to elevate the assemblyas suspension flange 15 is held against the supporting member 29 whilefasteners 22 are being driven home. Should it be desirable thereafter togain access to the jacket to service the conductors or to inspect them,it is merely necessary to pull the closure device lengthwise of the seamopening seam It} to the extent required to perform the service orinspection task.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, it is pointed out that the same jacketconstruction 16; is shown secured to the supporting joist or rafter 2bin a manner permitting suspension flange 15 to overlie jacket seam 13thereby concealing the same from view as well as providing a guard flappreventing moisture from gaining access to seam 13. Furthermore, asomewhat more secure and stronger suspension is provided for the jacketand its contents.

When installing jacket In for this purpose, the jacket and its contentsare closed as described above in connection with FIGURE 1 followingwhich the jacket is held pressed against the side of support member 2 1iwith suspension flange 15 directed downwardly and against member 20.While so held in this position, fasteners 22 are driven into thesupporting member, use preferably being made of a reinforcing strip 24-lying flush against the outer surface of flange 15 and through which thefasteners 22 are driven. Once the fasteners have been driven, jacket 1tand. the enclosed wires 23 are allowed to droop forwardly about theupper edge of reinforcing strip 24 and against supporting member 2% inthe manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 2a As Will be appreciated fromthis showing, flap 15 is not only effective to hold the jacket securelysuspended from member 2t but it also overlies jacket seam 1,8 concealingit from view and safeguarding it against all possibility of moistureentering. The jacket is also reasonably safeguarded against tampering byunauthorized personnel since the closure seam 18 is concealed from view.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, there is shown another preferred embodimentof the invention wherein the same or similar parts as in the firstdescribed embodiment are identified by the same reference charactersdistinguished by the addition of a prime. One of the distinguishingcharacteristics of this embodiment is the securement of slide fastenerclosure tapes I2, 13 at the opposite lateral edges of the main body 111' in such manner as to provide guard flaps 36* and 31 having a freeedge sufficiently wide as to bridge closure seam '18. This may beaccomplished by the simple expedient of securing the attachment webs oftapes 12', 13' along areas parallel to the opposite edges of the mainbody and spaced inwardly to provide guard flaps 30 and 31 of therequisite width. Note that flange 30 bridges seam 18' on the interiorside of the jacket whereas guard flap 31 performs the same function onthe exterior of scam '18.

Despite the structural similarities of guard flaps 3t) and 31, theirfunctions are quite different. Thus, inner guard flap 39 serves toprevent the conductors 23 from pressing into the joint between theinterlocking grooves of seam 18 from the inner side thereof to force thesame open. Additionally, flap 3t) bridges the seam and prevents theconductors from interfering with the closure of the seam during theassembly operation. The outer guard flap 31 serves quite different anddistinct objectives. Thus, flap 3-1 is so positioned as to drain rainwater and other moisture from the upper portions of the jacket past seam'18" without allowing the moisture to come in contact with the matingseam surfaces. A further function is to conceal the seam and add to theneat appearance of the jacket.

Another feature of difierence of the FIGURE 3 jacket is the use of asuspension strip d which may and prefer-- ably does include areinforcing layer between its opposite surfaces adding considerably tothe strength of the material. For example, suspension flange 15 may haveembedded therein a fabric layer or other reinforcing material. Its lowerlateral edge 33 is heat sealed, fused or otherwise suitably secured tothe exterior of jacket body 11' along a strip spaced circumferentiallyfrom seam l8 and preferably so that seam 18' is located along one sideof the jacket when in its installed position on support 20".

The opposite or free edge of suspension flange 15 may be wrapped about areinforcing cord or cable 35 and securely sealed therewithin as by heatsealing indicated at 36. It is to be understood that the reinforcingcord 35 extends the full length of suspension flange 15' and that itsopposite ends may be anchored and sealed against the entry of Water bypressing the plastic stripping material together and heat sealing it inthis condition as is indicated at 37.

Jacket 10 may be suspended in various ways. One mode of suspension is tosecure the reinforced free edge of flange 15 to a fioor joist, rafter orother supporting member 2% as by clips 38 and nails or screws 39. In analternate mode, a rigid strip of fiber or the like 24 may be appliedagainst the outer surface of the flange and held in place againstsupport 2% by nails 22, the upper edge of strip 24 bearing directlyagainst the underside of the reinforcing cord 35. In still another modeof suspension, the ends as well as intermediate portions of cord 35' maybe suitably supported on hooks, clamps or other devices without need forthe use of the wooden supports 2d extending the full length of thejacket. Various other Ways in which the suspension flange I5 and cord 35may be employed to suspend the jacket and its contents temporarily willsuggest themselves to persons skilled in this art.

Still another feature of the FIGURE 3 construction which will beunderstood as applicable to the jacket shown in FiG-URES 1 and 2 is theuse of a pair of right hand and left hand slide fastener devices 42, 43assembled to embrace the mating edges of slide fastener tapes 12 and 13'to facilitate opening and closing of seam 18'. As is shown in FIGURE 3,pull devices 42 and 43 are positioned in closely spaced end-to-endrelation on seam 18' in which position of the pull devices seam 18 isclosed throughout its length. Each pull device is provided with afingerpieoe or pull tab 44, 4-5, respectively, by which devices 42, 43may be slid lengthwise of seam 18. When the seam is fully closed as itis in FIGURE 3, the separate pull devices will lie in end-to-endabutting engagement. If pull device 43 is pulled to the right as viewedin FIGURE 3, a portion of seam 18 over which the device is pulled willbe opened. Likewise, if device 42 is pulled to the left a correspondingportion of seam 13 will be opened. Thereafter, if either device ispulled into abutting relation, the open portion of the seam will bereclosed.

Let it be assumed that it is desired to gain access to some intermediateportion of jacket 10' without exposing the jacket contents elsewhere. Toachieve this objective, the operator grasps finger tabs 44, 45 of thetwo devices and pulls both simultaneously along seam 18' to the area tobe opened for inspection. As this simultaneous movement takes place, theopening of the seam by the leading device is immediately nullified bythe action of the trailing device in closing the seam with the resultthat the seam as a whole remains closed so long as both pull devices aremaintained in abutment and moved simultaneously. However, when the areato be opened is reached, the operator releases one of the pull devicesand moves the other away from it to open the seam for the requireddistance. When the servicing operation has been completed, the two pulldevices are moved into abutment to lock the seam closed.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that pull devices 42 and 43provide a convenient means by which the contents of the jacket may beserviced or opened for changes in the internal connections or for theaddition of branch or other connections to the Wiring system enclosed bythe jacket.

While the particular combined jacket and suspension means for conductorsand the like herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable ofattaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated,it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presentlypreferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations areintended to the details of construction or design herein shown otherthan as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An inexpensive, fluid-tight, lightweight, one-piece tubular jacketformed entirely of electrically nonconductive components having areadily opened and reclosed seam extending from end-to-end thereof andadapted to be suspended from temporary supports on construction projectsto provide a weather-tight temporary housing for electrical conductors,said unitary tubular jacket comprising a thin-walled elongated main bodystrip with longitudinal edges of flexible impervious plastic materialfree of stiffening and reinforcing elements, a pair of seam formingmembers interlocking to provide a fluid-tight seam extending fromend-to-end of said main body and formed of flexible electricallynonconductive plastic material, the first said seam forming member beingsecured in a fluid-tight manner along one longitudinal edge of said mainbody strip and the second said seam-forming member being securedinwardly of the other longitudinal edge of said main body stripsufiiciently to provide an exterior guard flap wide enough to bridgesaid seam in the closed position of said seam, and a continuous jacketsuspension strip of flexible plastic material projecting outwardly onthe opposite side of said main body strip of said jacket from saidsecond seam forming member, said suspension strip being so spaced fromsaid guard flap that said seam is located along one lateral side of saidjacket when the latter is supported by suspension from said suspensionstrip and whereby said guard flap overlies and conceals the closed seamand is eifective cave-fashion to drain rain water and the like from thejacket without permitting the water to contact the mating portions ofsaid seam forming means, said continuous seam being open able from theside of the suspended jacket and from end-to-end thereof to admitadditional conductors and the withdrawal of conductors previouslyinstalled.

2. A tubular jacket as defined in claim 1 characterized in that theouter free lateral edge of said suspension strip is overturned andsealed about a flexible cord-like reinforcing suspension membercoextensive in length With said strip and facilitating mounting saidjacket along rafters, joists and the like of a building.

3. A tubular jacket as defined in claim 1 characterized in that saidseam forming means includes a pair of independent slider devices mountedbetween the interlocking portions of said seam and concealed by saidguard flap, said slider devices being shiftable in either directionalong said seam and so arranged as to open the portion of the seamtherebetween as either slider is pulled away from the other from astarting position wherein said sliders are close to one another, andsaid sliders being efi'ective to reclose the seam as either is pulledtoward the other, and one of said sliders also being operable to opensaid seam and the other being operable to immediately reclose said seamas both of said sliders are pulled simultaneously in either directionwhile positioned closely adjacent one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.24,613 Hageltorn Mar. 3, 1959 1,086,442 Cornelius Feb. 10, 19141,794,102 Comins Feb. 24, 1931 1,861,675 Wol'fson et al June 7, 19322,012,624 Calcutt Aug. 27, 1935 2,371,042 Fogg Mar- 6, 1945 2,469,949Cantrell May 10, 1949 2,536,863 Widman Jan. 2, 1951 2,585,054 StachuraFeb. 12, 1952 2,680,087 Sundback June 1, 1954 2,756,172 Kidd July 24,1956 2,937,664 Plummer May 24, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 598,079 GreatBritain Feb. 10, 1948

1. AN INEXPENSIVE, FLUID-TIGHT, LIGHTWEIGHT, ONE-PIECE TUBULAR JACKETFORMED ENTIRELY OF ELECTRICALLY NONCONDUCTIVE COMPONENTS HAVING AREADILY OPENED AND ENCLOSED SEAM EXTENDING FROM END-TO-END THEREOF ANDADAPTED TO BE SUSPENDED FROM TEMPORARY SUPPORTS ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTSTO PROVIDE A WEATHER-TIGHT TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS,SAID UNITARY TUBULAR JACKET COMPRISING A THIN-WALLED ELONGATED MAIN BODYSTRIP WITH LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF FLEXIBLE IMPERVIOUS PLASTIC MATERIALFREE OF STIFFENING AND REINFORCING ELEMENTS, A PAIR OF STEAM FORMINGMEMBERS INTERLOCKING TO PROVIDE A FLUID-TIGHT SEAM EXTENDING FROMEND-TO-END OF SAID MAIN BODY AND FORMED OF FLEXIBLE ELECTRICALLYNONCONDUCTIVE PLASTIC MATERIAL, THE FIRST SAID SEAM FORMING MEMBER BEINGSECURED IN A FLUID-TIGHT MANNER ALONG ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID MAINBODY STRIP AND TE SECOND SAID SEAM-FORMING MEMBER BEING SECURED INWARDLYOF THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID MAIN BODY STRIP SUFFICIENTLY TOPROVIDE AN EXTERIOR GUARD FLAP WIDE ENOUGH TO BRIDGE SAID SEAM IN THECLOSED POSITION OF SAID SEAM, AND A CONTINUOUS JACKET SUSPENSION STRIPFLEXIBLE PLASTIC MATERIAL PROJECTING OUTWARDLY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OFSAID MAIN BODY STRIP OF SAID JACKET FROM SAID SECOND SEAM FORMINGMEMBER, SAID SUSPENSION STRIP BEING SO SPACED FROM SAID GUARD FLAP THATSAID SEAM IS LOCATED ALONG ONE LATERAL SIDE OF SAID JACKET WHEN THELATTER IS SUPPORTED BY SUSPENSION FROM SAID SUSPENSION STRIP AND WHEREBYSAID GUARD FLAP OVERLIES AND CONCEALS THE CLOSED SEAM AND IS EFFECTIVEEAVE-FASHION TO DRAIN RAIN WATER AND THE LIKE FROM THE JACKET WITHOUTPERMITTING THE WATER TO CONTACT THE MATING PORTIONS OF SAID SEAM FORMINGMEANS, SAID CONTINUOUS SEAM BEING OPENABLE FROM THE SIDE OF THESUSPENDED JACKET AND FROM END-TO-END THEREOF TO ADMIT ADDITIONALCONDUCTORS AND THE WITHDRAWAL OF CONDUCTORS PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED.